6 August, 2004
The Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong health authorities today (August 6) agreed to continue strengthening their cooperation in the prevention and control of infectious diseases in a bid to better protect public health in the region.
The agreement was re-affirmed in the fourth tripartite meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Expert Group on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases held in Hong Kong.
During the two-day meeting (August 5 and 6), medical experts and health care professionals of the three places discussed and shared their experiences on a wide range of subjects including infectious diseases prevention and control measures and attachments and training of medical professionals.
Members of the meeting also reviewed the works of the three parties carried out since the last expert group meeting in 2003, which included the exchange of information on infectious diseases; training courses, attachment programmes and familiarization visits for public health professionals and cooperation in the research of prevention and control measures of infectious diseases. They also reviewed the latest situation on the planning and development of admission and treatment facilities for patients of infectious diseases.
The three parties agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in the notification mechanism; experience sharing in infection control measures; admission and treatment of patients and the planning of joint exercises with a view to better responding to and handling of outbreak of infectious diseases in the three places.
They also examined the trends of various infectious diseases in the three places and presented their respective strategies against infectious diseases with common interest including atypical pneumonia, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and viral gastroenteritis.
Experts of the three places reached consensus on the following subjects:
1. Continuous improvement for the notification mechanism on infectious diseases and public health incidents
The three parties considered that the existing communication channel regarding infectious diseases outbreaks is functioning satisfactorily. They agreed to enhance the analysis of data of infectious diseases and upload the results of these analyses to a designated website on a regular basis to facilitate data sharing among experts of the three places.
2. Training and mutual visits of health care professionals
Two experts from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province were attached to the Department of Health of Hong Kong for a month in July to familiarize themselves with the local epidemiological field works as well as laboratory tests and the management of virus laboratory.
Attachment programmes on infectious diseases and infection control will also be organized by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority respectively.
The Guangdong health authority will also arrange attachments programmes on field epidemiology medical professionals. Details of the arrangements will be worked out by the three parties.
3. Cooperation in scientific research
The three parties were satisfied with the progress of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau AIDS epidemiological study, implemented since the last tripartite meeting in 2003. This collaborative project has enabled researchers to upload and amend their data as well as to monitor the general trend in the region. The final phase of the study will soon be implemented.
The three parties will also start new projects which will look at the epidemiology of vector borne diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever in the three places, and the surveillance and control of influenza in these places.
4 Exchange of information on treatment facilities for infectious diseases patients
Experts exchanged views on clinical treatment, admission measures and the set up of isolation facilities for patients of infectious diseases. They also explored the possibility of arranging joint diagnoses by experts of the three places if necessary and the cooperation of western medical professionals and Chinese medicine practitioners in clinical treatment.
During their stay in Hong Kong, the Guangdong and Macau representatives also visited the newly established Centre for Health Protection and Queen Elizabeth Hospital to familiarise themselves with the works to combat infectious diseases, admission of infected persons and infection control in hospitals.
The three parties also agreed to hold the fifth tripartite meeting in Macau.
Participating the two-day meeting included Associated Director of the Department of Health of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Fei, Deputy Director of Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province, Mr Xu Rui-heng, Associate Director of Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Mr Zhang Shun-xiang, Director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Macau's Health Department, Mr Tong Ka-io, Hong Kong's Director of Health, Dr Lam Ping-yan, Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Leung Pak-yin, Senior Executive Manager (Professional Services) of the Hospital Authority, Dr Liu Shao-haei and Consultant of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Dr Ho Yuk-yin.